As every July 7th, the communes of Gattières and Nice honor the memory of two martyrs of the Resistance. In Nice, the tribute took place on Jean-Médecin Avenue, in front of their memorial.
81 years later, the people of Nice have not forgotten. On July 7, 1944, Séraphin Torrin and Ange Grassi, communist resistors residing in Gattières, were hanged in Nice on Avenue de la Victoire (now Jean-Médecin). Since then, an annual tribute is held in both communes.
Duty of remembrance
A third-grade student from Roland Garros College opened the ceremony. A brief three-minute speech, in a heavy silence: “Every year, on July 7, the Committee of the Memory of the Resistance takes it as a duty to honor the memory of Séraphin Torrin and Ange Grassi.” The winner of the national Resistance and Deportation competition concluded, “Their sacrifice is the surest pledge that the fraternal union between peoples will endure forever.”
A traditional laying of roses in front of the portraits of the two martyrs, followed by seeds from various local figures: Anthony Borré (first deputy mayor of Nice), Laurent Hottiaux (Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes), Jean-Christophe Picard (primary territorial officer), the municipal council of Gattières… Then, the majority sang La Marseillaise, sounding like a cry of freedom.
The French Communist Party was also present. Its militants sang together L’Internationale, a revolutionary song: “It’s the final struggle, let us group together and tomorrow, The Internationale will be the human race. ”
Two sacrifices as reprisals
Who are Séraphin Torrin and Ange Grassi? In 1944, Séraphin Torrin was 32 years old. He was a farmer in Gattières and became actively involved in politics by joining the Communist Party and becoming president of the local committee of the Popular Front. He then joined the Resistance within the Francs-tireurs et partisans (FTP). Ange Grassi, 40, was an Italian mason from the vicinity of Siena. He was also a communist activist and FTP resistor. The two men became close. Together, they carried out actions against Italian and German troops. Their attacks inflicted heavy losses on enemy convoys. On July 3, 1944, Torrin and Grassi were arrested.
Gattières was surrounded by German forces and a collaborator denounced them: they were identified as communists. A search was conducted at their respective homes. The soldiers discovered two pistols. Taken to Nice, Ange and Séraphin were tortured. But neither of them yielded to the pain in order to protect their comrades. On July 7, they were sentenced to death for possession of weapons and belonging to the Communist Party.
They were hanged in public on Avenue de la Victoire, in front of a hundred citizens of Nice forced to witness the scene. Their bodies remained exposed for three long hours. A horrific image etched in the collective memory, which continues to resonate to this day.
